Applied as a gel or strip, MSH (melanocyte-stimulating hormone) is placed adjacent to the damaged tooth to encourage growth and regeneration of cells. In tests performed on cavity-filled mice teeth as part of the study, researchers saw extremely positive results -- after a month the cavities had disappeared. Although obviously it's important to remember mice teeth are considerably smaller than human teeth.

The study was published in the journal ACS Nano and is the work of scientists at the French Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) Faculty of Medicine. Its focus is to heal cavities after they develop, though a researcher was keen to remind us that this is not an incentive to completely ignore dental hygiene.

Whilst MSH is being billed as a potential replacement for the drilling and filling process, the technology is only in its formative stages and may only be useful in particular cases. It faces many years of clinical trials until the product hits market, so dentists needn't hang up their drills just yet.